Quote:The interesting thing, is that there is no recent history with these two teams playing each other. They don't know each other.
Should be fun.

(01-31-2022, 01:32 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Chiefs are a better team than the Rams, they do realize that, right?

I guess expecting Californians to respect anyone outside ot their tiny bubble is expecting a bit much.

My California cousin was once surprised I had a Wal-Mart. He thought Kentucky was all farms and horses.

(01-31-2022, 02:11 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: - KC is 4th in scoring and 8th in yards
- LA is 7th in scoring and 9th in yards

- KC is 8th in points allowed and 27th in yards allowed
- LA is 15th in points allowed and 17th in yards allowed

- KC has 2 Super Bowls, 1 chip and 4 straight conference championship appearances
- Rams most recently made the Super Bowl in 2018 and lost

I think most people had the Chiefs as the top team heading into the playoffs. Rams were probably 3rd behind Chiefs and Packers. Maybe behind the Bucs as well. Great team, but I don't think many people were saying they were better than the Chiefs.

(01-31-2022, 02:22 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: Stats schmats

Rams have a better defense than KC. Period.

And they have a very competent offense with weapons and a good o-line

If the chiefs won the afc, I’d have the rams beating them

LA is kind of a super team. Gonna have to force Stafford into throwing multiple interceptions

(01-31-2022, 01:38 PM)michaelsean Wrote: I'm pretty sure not one of those fans has spent any time watching the Bengals.  Anything they know comes from what they've heard.  But a defense that shut down Mahomes for the whole second half would scare me a little.

(01-31-2022, 02:20 PM)pally Wrote: This is an interesting quote since our head coach was on their coaching staff during their last Super Bowl run.  Zac has borrowed extensively from the Rams playbook.  The teams may not be all that familiar having last played in 2019 but it doesn't mean that don't know what the other will do.

(01-31-2022, 02:54 PM)JaggedJimmyJay Wrote: There's some silver lining available, I think, for the problem of Donald, Miller, and Floyd. Everyone knows what they're capable of without a semblance of doubt.

I think the Bengals staff underestimated the Titans defensive line and didn't have a great plan in place to deal with it. That's likely a product, at least in part, of the Titans defensive line featuring numerous solid-but-not-spectacular players. Simmons had a bit of name recognition, but otherwise it was more "they're good, and we will have to handle it" instead of "they have Aaron freaking Donald and Von Miller, both perennial DPOY candidates over the past decade".

There's no way the Bengals coaching staff can overlook the Rams defensive line strengths. It's impossible. I expect they'll dedicate a greater priority in their planning over the next two weeks to resolving that problem than they did prior to the Tennessee game.

(01-31-2022, 02:15 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: The Rams moved back to LA the year I left SoCal and moved to Denver.  Their fans were so excited about the return.  Many of them still had old gear from the team, and it was really cool to see the team returning.  In general, SoCal sports fans don't care spectacularly about their teams because there's so much to do there year-round people get distracted and sports are just a "thing to do to mix it up" rather than the obsession we see in other parts of the country.  But there are certainly still die-hards.  In general, I liked Rams fans (and Bolts fans, Angel fans, Ducks fans, etc).  Laker fans are annoying and there are some Dodger fans that are as well, but I didn't feel that way about the Rams.  In fact, I was ready/open to adopting the Rams as a my second team before I moved because I liked the nostalgia aspect.  

I would definitely expect that the casual Rams fan has no clue about the Bengals.  Different conference, across the country, not a team name thrown around constantly on most mass media.  If you're a casual fan in SoCal, it just doesn't matter to look that deeply at other teams.  In most sports there, I don't see fans caring about much outside their division.

(01-31-2022, 03:04 PM)JaggedJimmyJay Wrote: You know another defensive line that gets overlooked every week?

The Cincinnati Bengals defensive line.

Let's hope the Rams dedicate the same attention to Hendrickson-Reader-Hubbard that the Bengals dedicated to Tennesee's outfit.

(01-31-2022, 02:29 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Truth, surprised Rams fans seem to not know this. Not very educated these Rams fans it seems.

(01-31-2022, 03:09 PM)Interceptor Wrote: Just as long as they're docile and non-toxic, we'll get along just fine.

(01-31-2022, 03:04 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Makes sense. I'm pretty sure they were outnumbered in their own stadium yesterday for the NFCCG.  And they have like 20 million people to draw from.

(01-31-2022, 02:22 PM)grampahol Wrote: I lived out there for about a year back in the dark ages when I was under 25.. I can't tell you how many Californians truly believe that quite literally everything good was invented in Los Angeles. Being from Dayton I was always quite pleased to be able to inform them about the Wright Brothers from Dayton, Ohio, Charles Kettering, etc, etc...When I told em the flip top can as well as the modest step ladder were invented in Dayton they about blew a gasket and accused me of just making it all up.. 

(01-31-2022, 02:22 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: Stats schmats

Rams have a better defense than KC. Period.

And they have a very competent offense with weapons and a good o-line

If the chiefs won the afc, I’d have the rams beating them

LA is kind of a super team. Gonna have to force Stafford into throwing multiple interceptions

(01-31-2022, 03:17 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Everyone I've met from Cali is like that. I'm sure a ton of good people live there, so nothing against them.


On paper I agree with you about their defense. They have 50 sacks. Donald, Ramsey and Von Miller. That said, they haven't played many elite QBs, and when they have, here's how they've fared:

vs Brady: 432 yards - 1 TD - 103.0 rtg - 3 sacks - 24 points
vs Murray: 268 yards - 2 TD - 120.3 rtg - 3 sacks - 37 points
@ Rodgers: 307 yards - 2 TD - 97.2 rtg - 1 sack - 36 points
@ Murray: 383 yards - 0 TD - 72.1 rtg - 4 sacks - 23 points
vs Murray: 137 yards - 0 TD - 40.9 rtg - 2 sacks - 11 points (playoffs)
vs Brady: 329 yards - 1 TD - 72.2 rtg - 3 sacks - 27 points (playoffs)

Their success seemed to improve each time they got another crack. That said, the opponent scored at least 23 points in each game, with the exception of the fading Cardinals.

They picked off Murray twice in each of the last 2 matches, but only had one pick in all these other games.

I'd say that outside of pressure, their defense is overrated and pretty vulnerable. That's the big question though. Can we keep Burrow upright against these guys?

On offense, they're great, but Stafford led the league in INTs with 17 and threw another yesterday. Our defense has forced 6 INTs (at least 1 against everyone) in the playoffs, with 8 sacks. We need that to continue.

(01-31-2022, 03:14 PM)Tomkat Wrote: Fixed it for you.

(01-31-2022, 03:23 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Cannot go as many empty sets against the Rams, Donald will bully Hopkins into Burrow all game long.

Have to have Mixon, Perine or Evans chipping the man. Aaron Donald needs to be the focus in our protection.

They are a formidable Defense but they aren't unbeatable, just need to give Burrow SOME time.

Also need to have a lot of quick pass plays on hand to get the ball out quickly. Donald is so damn quick.

(01-31-2022, 01:54 PM)TecmoBengals Wrote: This is currently my biggest fear. I don't want to see a repeat of the Titans game where Burrow is sacked 9 times and taking QB hits.

(01-31-2022, 02:25 PM)grampahol Wrote: Just like the 1976 Yankees v the Cincinnati Reds, eh?  4 straight and goodnight ladies..